The Labor enquirer., 1887-08-06
Oesolatiom.
IN THE CITY.
The True Story Of Lottie Bauer
Told by Helen Camp
bell.
WHAT OF THE CITY T0ILERS?
Are there No Real Knights Nowadays
to Rescue Women from
the Dragoni

the Dragoni
From "Prisoners OF Poverty"
It was the Prussian war that seemed to
settled the question. So far as Grossvater
Bauer himself was concerned, he would
still have tOiled ON contentedly. To be
alive at all on German soil was more than
honor or wealth or any good thing that
tho emigrant might report as part of his
possession in that America to which all
discontented eyes looked longingly.
The reports might all be true; yet
why should one for the sake of better food
or more money be banished from the
vaterlapd and have only president, q
man of the people, in place Of-the old
Kaiser, whose very name thrilled the heart,
and for whose glory Grossvater Bauer
would have given many sons? He had
given them. Peace had come, and France
was paying tribute; and, one by one, the
few who had escaped French bullets came
home to the little Prussian village and
told the story of the siege and of the three
who had fallen at Sedan. Grossvater
Bauer sat silent. He had been as silent
when they brought the news to him in the
beginning. 1t was the fortune of war
He had served his own time, and having
served it, accepted as part of his birth
right the same necessity for his sons.
They had worked side by side with him
on the great farm where he had been for
most of his life head laborer and almost
master; worked contentedly until Ann
chen, the Oldest daughter, had married a
tailor, dissatisfied like all tailors, and set
sail for the strange country where fortune
always had open hands for all the world.
He had prospered, and in Anpchen's
letters, coming at rare intervals, was al
ways an appeal to them to come over.
The boys listened; doubtfully at first, for
the fathers's feith was strong in them that
no land could ever hold the same good as
this land through which the Rhine flowed
to the sea. But as the time came when
they must enter the army there was rebell-
ion. Here and there, in the air it seemed,
for no one could say from whence the new
feeling had come, we're questions the
sound of which was not to be tolerated by
any true Prussian. Why should this great
srmy live on the toll of the peasants Why
should the maintenance of these con-
scripts swallow up every possible saving
in the wages and be the largest item save
one in the years expenses? Why should
there be standing army at all?
Hans, when his time came, had learned
to ask, but not to answer. The splendor
of his uniform appeared to be in some
sort a-reply, and its tightness may also
have had its effect in restricting his men
tai operations. For three years the care
fully kept accounts of Grossvater held the
item "Maintainance of son in army,
$121.37." Then Hans came home and
married Lieschen, the little dairy-maid
and in due time Lotte's blue eyes opened
on the world whose mysteries were still
not quite e1plicable to the heavy father.
Wilhelm and Franz had taken their turn
and in spite of their questions settled
passively at last inte the farm life. Then
came the war,-the war that called for
every man with strength enough to carry
a gun,-and when it was over Lotte was
fatherless, and there we're no more sons
to bear the name, or trouble Grossvater
Bauer's mind with further questions.
Very glorious, bpt what use if there
were no boys left to whom the story could
be tolds If he had yielded, if even one
had crossed the sea, there would be some
thing still to live for. But Lieschen had
given them no boys. He thought of il
day after day, till the familiar fields grew
hateful and he wished only to escape from
the land to which he had paid tax toe
heavy for mortal endurance. There was
no one but Lieschen and her little ones
Lotte first of all and best beloved, and in
another month they had set sail and the
old life was over.
"work for all, homes for all, plenty fol-
for ALL" Annchen had written how many
times. Yet now, when the Grossvater ap
peared, and the round-eyed Lieschen and
her tribe of five, Peter shook his head. HI
had prospered. it is true. From journey
man tailor he had become master on {
small scale, and packed himself and hi:
men into a shop so tiny that it was mirac
ulous how elbow room remained to use tbs
goose. But work for the Grossvater wa